Fernando Tatis Jr. thinks that MLB teams are soon going to need the Brink’s truck for their biggest stars.
The San Diego Padres All-Star spoke with reporters in his native Dominican Republic this week and gave a bold prediction for how much money two of the game’s top players are eventually going to get.
“I think that both Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will sign contracts over $400 million,” said Tatis, per MLB insider Hector Gomez. “Those two guys’ bats are setting the tone for the major leagues right now.”
For reference, Tatis himself got a 14-year, $340 million contract extension from the Padres before the 2021 season. The current record for the largest extension in MLB history is Mookie Betts’ 12 years and $365 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels has the record for the largest total contract at 12 years and $426.5 million.
The 23-year-old Soto, an All-Star and ex-batting champion, is under team control through 2024. The 22-year-old Guerrero, the MLB home run leader and AL MVP runner-up for this past season, is under team control through 2025. They can agree to an extension with their respective teams before that though, as we saw with Tatis, who got his after just two years of service time.
There have been some slightly more reserved estimates of how much money Soto and Guerrero could get. But Tatis clearly thinks that the bank will be broken for his two fellow Dominican phenoms.
Photo: Feb 28, 2020; Peoria, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Peoria Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports